New Speakers for $2000

Don't buy until you hear the GoldenEars. And don't let them demo them with some mass produced receiver. They shine with quality amplification. You won't find a better combination of refined midrange/treble, bass extension, imaging, and dynamic range at that price.

Tekton Pendragons are as good as I've ever heard. $2500 Internet direct with trial period. No way a Brick and Mortar store with distributors, and their overhead can compete. And maybe you can find a local audition? That's what I did and loved them immediately. Just my $.02.

As a fellow student, I encourage you to buy used. I love supporting the dealers and the companies, but we have plenty of time to do that after we graduate...I listen to jazz, classical, classic rock, and metal. It is next to impossible to find a speaker around 2k that will reproduce all those genres correctly. With that said, if you do listen to mostly metal I highly recommend a speaker that satisfies your first 5 requests then pair it with either a vandersteen sub or rel sub(strata III). Some say that adding a sub may interfere with the coherancy of the speakers...and for jazz and classical I tend to agree...but for rock and metal, a sub will take your system to another level.

My final advice, buy used on audiogon. Only buy if the speakers have their original box, manual, spikes, etc. Dont buy until listening to those speakers locally. Finally trust your ears and only take peoples recommondations with a grain of salt (including mine). We all of our own preferances and point of view. Afterall its what makes this hobby so fun!

Speakers I recommend for you:

Used Magnepan 1.6 (900-1000 used) pair with rel stata III (750 used). (Total: 1750) Nad or Rotel equptment will be a good match.

Your first couple of wants kinda spells out maggies! They also have stellar highs. Again with the rel...bass wont be a problem even with some the most brutal double bass action! Do make sure you have some room tho...maggies need room...and power.

Merlin TSM monitors (1100-1600 used depending on model) Also pair with the rel. (Total: 1850-2350)

I have owned merlins before and find them to have a very forward sound. Not in a negative way tho. Very bitey, clean, fast as hell, and uber transparent midrange. This pairing would also sound nice with tons of other music. The merlin is such a neutral speaker...whats on the recording is what you hear. My experience told me this: merlins have that hifi feeling with also that live type of sound mixed in. The soundstage is very realistic and just lets the music take over. Lets not even start to talk about the resolution...its better than any other speaker you would be willing to fork the cash for....

Good luck man, its awesome to see another student up here!

Fritz Rev 5

Not to be sarcastic, but it seems like the OP's wish list encompasses all of the great attributes of a perfect speaker system. Ok so he said he did not need bass slam. I would think that there are many 20,000 speakers that could not meet all of these preferences. I am surprised someone has not said that this is a tall order to fill for two grand. Or maybe , I am off base and there are many or a few that can meet all of these.
Todd